Easily fastening identification band

ABSTRACT

A hospital identification band includes a wrist band adapted to be wrapped on a patient&#39;s arm or wrist, a label having the patient&#39;s data written or printed on the wrist band; and a control sleeve formed on a head portion of the wrist band for adjustably jacketing a tail strip of the wrist band through the control sleeve to form a loop wrapping the patient&#39;s arm or wrist, having adhesive coated on an inside surface of the control sleeve, whereby upon a proper adjustment of the tail strip in the control sleeve for snugly fastening the wrist band around the patient&#39;s arm or wrist, the control sleeve is firmly pressed to bond the tail strip with an adhesive-coated inside surface of the control sleeve, and an insertion of the tail strip through a concealing slot transversely formed in the head portion of the wrist band to conceal the tail strip beneath the wrist band, thereby easily fastening an identification band on a patient or wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No 4,682,431 disclosed a hospital arm band having a free end of band portion (80) adhered to an adhesive-coated surface at a receiving end of the body portion (71) of the arm band and then a tab portion (70) is folded downwardly to overlap and seal the free end (80), thereby forming a sealed closed loop as worn on a patient's wrist.

However, such a prior art has the following drawbacks:

-   1. The arm band is removed from a continuums form assembly (10) and     the arm band as provided on the assembly (10) may have a limited     length. So, the arm band may not be suitable for a fat patient. -   2. For a slim patient's arm or wrist, the free end (80) of the arm     band may cause tangle or obstruction in the surroundings, unless     being cut by a tool. -   3. Once the free end (80) is adhered and sealed by the tab portion     (70), the arm band will be fixed and can not be adjusted freely,     thereby influencing an optional adjustment of the band for wrapping     the arm band on a patient's wrist. -   4. It is lacking of any protection by covering a transparent film on     the data area on the band. The patient's data as written or printed     on the band may be easily corroded or removed in a hospital, thereby     being unable for a clear reading.

The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the easily fastening identification band.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a hospital identification band including a wrist band adapted to be wrapped on a patient's arm or wrist, a label having the patient's data written or printed on the wrist band; and a control sleeve formed on a head portion of the wrist band for adjustably jacketing a tail strip of the wrist band through the control sleeve to form a loop wrapping the patient's arm or wrist, having adhesive coated on an inside surface of the control sleeve, whereby upon a proper adjustment of the tail strip in the control sleeve for snugly fastening the wrist band around the patient's arm or wrist, the control sleeve is firmly pressed to bond the tail strip with an adhesive-coated inside surface of the control sleeve, and an insertion of the tail strip through a concealing slot transversely formed in the head portion of the wrist band to conceal the tail strip beneath the wrist band, thereby easily fastening an identification band on a patient or wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing the identification band of the present invention when adhering the transparent film on the label on the band.

FIG. 2 shows the label on the band having the transparent film coated thereon.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional drawing of the control sleeve and the head portion of the wrist band of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional drawing showing the tail strip passing through the control sleeve to be fastened in the head portion of the band of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the wrist band of the present invention as wrapped on a patient's wrist.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the present invention comprises: a wrist band 1, a label 2 having a patient's data including his or her name, hospital bed number, identification number, etc., written or printed on the label 2 to be adhered on the wrist band 1, a transparent film 3 coated or adhered on the label 2 for protecting the label 2, and a control sleeve 4 formed on one end portion of the wrist band 1 to jacket or clamp the other end portion of the band 1 in the control sleeve 4 for snugly fastening the band 1 around the patient's wrist or arm H as shown in FIG. 5.

The wrist band 1 includes: a wide band portion 11 adapted for adhering the label 2 on the wide band portion 11, a head portion 12 formed on a first end portion of the band 1 having the control sleeve 4 formed on the head portion 12, and a narrow tail strip 13 formed on a second end portion of the band 1 opposite to the head portion 12 and having a width of the tail strip 13 slightly smaller than a width of the wide band portion 11.

Naturally, the label 2 may be eliminated in this invention by directly writing or printing the patient's data on a surface of the wrist band 1.

The elements of the present invention may be made of plastic or other suitable materials, not limited in this invention.

The transparent film 3 is made of transparent materials having a layer of transparent adhesive 30 coated on an inside surface of the film 3 and a releasing paper 31 normally coated on the transparent adhesive 30. When tearing or removing the releasing paper 31 from the layer of transparent adhesive 30, the transparent film 3 may be adhered or coated on the label 2 on the wide band portion 11 of the wrist band 1 (FIGS. 1, 2).

Alternatively, the label 2 may be sandwiched in between the wide band portion 11 and the transparent film 3 to be bonded by the adhesive coated on an inside surface of the transparent film 3.

The control sleeve 4 is formed on the head portion 12 of the wrist band 1 or formed in the band 1 adjacent to the head portion 12, defining a tunnel 4 p between the control sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 of the wrist band 1 for passing the narrow tail strip 13 through the tunnel 4 p for fastening the wrist band 1 around a patient's wrist or arm.

The control sleeve 4 has its inside surface 4 i coated with adhesive 40 and then covered with a releasing paper piece 41 on the inside surface 4 i coated with adhesive 40 to form as adhesive-free tunnel 4 p between the releasing paper piece 41 and the head portion 12 of the wrist band 1 to allow a smooth passing of the tail strip 13 within the tunnel 4 p between the control sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 when adjusting a loop of the band in order to snugly wrap the band 1 around the patient's wrist or arm.

After finishing the adjustment, the releasing paper piece 41 is removed to depress (D) the control sleeve 4 to allow the adhesive 40 as coated on the inside surface 4 i of the control sleeve 4 to firmly bond the tail strip 13 in between the control sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 of the band 1 (FIGS. 3-5).

The releasing paper piece 41 may be formed as L shape, and after being inserted through the tunnel 4 p between the control sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 of the band 1, it will become a flattened V shape or linear shape, which is however not limited in this invention.

A concealing slot 10 is transversely cut in the head portion 12 of the band 1; or the slot 10 is formed in the band 1 between the head portion 12 and the wide band portion 11 for inserting the tail strip 13 through the slot 10 to allow a tip portion 131 of the tail strip 13 to be concealed beneath the wrist band 1 or to be concealed between the wrist band 1 and the patient's wrist without vibration or tangling the other articles. (FIGS. 4 & 5).

The releasing paper piece 41 includes: an upper adhering section 41 a releasably secured to an inside surface 4 i of the control sleeve 4 by adhesive 40 coated between the inside surface 4 i of the control sleeve 4 and the upper adhering section 41 a; an elbow portion 41 b connected to the upper adhering section 41 a and slightly protruding rearwardly beyond a rear opening (R) of the control sleeve 4; and a lower releasing section 41 c juxtapositionally formed below the upper adhering section 41 a and connected to the elbow portion 41 b (which is foldably bent to connect the upper adhering section 41 a and the lower releasing section 41 c), and defining the tunnel 4 p between the lower releasing section 41 c and the head portion 12 of the band 1, and having a pulling edge portion 41 d formed on a free end of the lower releasing section 41 c and protruding outwardly beyond a front opening (F) of the control sleeve 4 adapted to be pulled outwardly when tearing the releasing paper piece 41 for bonding the tail strip 13 in between the control sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 of the band 1.

The transparent film 3 and the control sleeve 4 may also be integrally formed and secured to the wrist band 1 which is then cut out the slot 10. Before using the band, a “free passage” in the tunnel 4 p should be kept by covering the releasing paper piece 41 on the adhesive-coated inside surface 4 i of the sleeve 4 to allow a smooth passing of the strip 13 through the tunnel 4 p without being adhered by the adhesive 40 and a smooth insertion of the strip into the slot 10 when wrapping the band 1 around a patient's wrist.

When using the identification band of the present invention, the tail strip 13 is surrounded around the patient's wrist (or arm) and then inserted through the tunnel 4 p in the control sleeve 41 to snugly form a loop comfortably wrapping the patient's wrist. The strip 13, after passing through the tunnel 4 p and protruding outwardly beyond a rear opening (R) of the control sleeve 4, is temporarily “braked” on the band 1 by pressuring the strip 13 downwardly and the releasing paper piece 41 is then withdrawn from the control sleeve 4 and the sleeve 4 is depressed as numeral “D” shown in FIGS. 4, 5 to firmly bond or fix the strip 13 in between the sleeve 4 and the head portion 12 of the band 1. Finally, the tip portion 131 is inserted into the slot 10 to be “concealed” beneath (or behind) the wide band portion 11 of the band 1 without being freely vibrated or tangled.

Therefore, the present invention provides an identification band which can be easily adjustably fastened on a patient's wrist or arm, and is superior to the prior art with the following advantages:

-   1. The strip 13 of the band 1 may be smoothly “shuttled” through the     control sleeve 4 until snugly forming a proper loop of the band 1     wrapped on the patient's wrist. The L-shaped releasing paper piece     41 is then withdrawn or removed to firmly fasten the strip 13 within     the sleeve 4 and the band 1. So, the band may be adjustably     ergonomically comfortably wrapped on the wearer, regardless of his     (or her) fat or slim arm or wrist. -   2. The tip portion 131 is “concealed” behind the band 1 for     providing a compact, safe and good-looking hospital identification     band. -   3. The label 2 having patient's data written or printed thereon is     covered by the transparent film 3 for better protection of the     patent's data from being corroded, removed or blurred.

The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. An identification band comprising: a wrist band for writing or printing a patient's data thereon having a head portion formed on a first end portion of said wrist band and a tail strip formed a second end portion of said wrist band opposite to said head portion, and having a concealing slot transversely formed in said wrist band adjacent to said head portion; and a control sleeve formed on said head portion of said wrist band for passing said tail strip through said control sleeve, whereby upon an adjustment of a loop of said wrist band for snugly wrapping a patient's wrist or arm, said control sleeve is actuated to fasten said tail strip with said control sleeve and said band, and said tail strip is inserted into said concealing slot to conceal said tail strip beneath said wrist band to thereby firmly wrap said wrist band on the patient's wrist or arm.
 2. An identification band according to claim 1, wherein said wrist band includes a wide band portion in between said head portion and said tail strip, having a label for writing or printing a patient's data on said label adhered on said wide band portion adjacent to said control sleeve.
 3. An identification band according to claim 2, wherein said band adjacent to said control sleeve further includes a transparent film coated on said label for protecting the patient's data thereon.
 4. An identification band according to claim 1, wherein said control sleeve has its inside surface coated with adhesive and covered with a releasing paper piece on said inside surface as coated with adhesive thereon, having an adhesive-free tunnel formed in between the releasing paper piece and said head portion of said wrist band for smoothly passing said tail strip within said tunnel for adjusting a loop of said band for snugly wrapping said band around a patient's wrist.
 5. An identification band according to claim 3, wherein said transparent film has a releasing paper adhered on an adhesive coated on an inside surface of said transparent film, whereby upon removal of said releasing paper, said transparent film coated with adhesive thereon will be adhered on said band having a patient's data written or printed thereon.
 6. An identification band according to claim 3, wherein said transparent film and said control sleeve are integrally formed, and secured on said wrist band.
 7. An identification band according to claim 4, wherein said releasing paper piece includes: an upper adhering section releasably secured to an inside surface of the control sleeve by adhesive coated between the inside surface of the control sleeve and the upper adhering section; an elbow portion connected to the upper adhering section and slightly protruding rearwardly beyond a rear opening of the control sleeve; and a lower releasing section juxtapositionally formed below the upper adhering section and connected to the elbow portion, and defining the tunnel between the lower releasing section and the head portion of the band, and having a pulling edge portion formed on a free end of the lower releasing section and protruding outwardly beyond a front opening of the control sleeve adapted to be pulled outwardly when tearing the releasing paper piece for bonding the tail strip in between the control sleeve and the head portion of the band.
 8. An identification band according to claim 2, wherein said wide band potion has a width larger than a width of said tail strip. 